TORONTO — The Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital has been renamed in honour of Larry and Judy Tanenbum, who have donated $35 million to the hospital in support of research.

The gift launches a major fundraising drive with the goal of achieving a $50 million endowment to sustain and grow the leading-edge research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute.

The gift will support the research of internationally recognized investigators working towards the prevention, detection and treatment of health conditions that are aligned with Mount Sinai’s flagship clinical programs. These include cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, maternal and infant health, neurodegenerative diseases and mental health disorders.

The Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute is home to Canada’s largest research team focused on maternal and infant health, and ranks number one in diabetes research among academic hospitals worldwide.

The Tanenbaums have made their donation as a catalyst to inspire additional gifts from the community to create sustainable funding for scientists at the institute.

Brent Belzberg, Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation chair, who also heads the hospital’s major fundraising campaign, will work with other donors to take up the Tanenbaums’ challenge and secure the full $50 million endowment target is envisioned.

Larry Tanenbaum, chair of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., is one of the country’s most influential and respected business, civic and philanthropic leaders.

The announcement is the latest chapter in over four decades of his volunteer and philanthropic leadership at Mount Sinai.

As a passionate advocate for medical research, Tanenbaum has chaired Mount Sinai’s research committee of the board of directors and has been a strong voice for research that asks “why?” and allows vision and creativity to fuel innovative medical discoveries that will revolutionize patient care.

After the June 24 announcement by hospital chair Jay Hennick, attended by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, Tanenbaum said, “Research is about finding answers to questions, where failure is more common than success, and where the cost of success requires time, patience and investment,

“Judy and I continue to be inspired and rewarded by the researchers at Mount Sinai and the quiet success they are achieving. Their discoveries are transforming the way that we understand disease and this not only positions Canada as a leader in biomedical research, but is leading the way towards how patients will be cared for in the future.”

Joseph Mapa, president and CEO, Mount Sinai Hospital, said, “One of the extraordinary things about the leadership that Larry and Judy have shown in this country is that they have always seen their philanthropy not as a gift, but rather, as an investment. Today, we are grateful that they have invested in the future of health care. The impact will be a future of more effective, targeted and efficient treatment of disease.”